ref: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApuxtZS3nLM

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So she wanted to hurt Taemin. And she liked EXO. I slowly connect the loose ends in my mind while I keep talking cautiously to Song Sungmi’s grandmother.

“Was it because of the award?” I ask.

It takes some time before the old woman understands what I’m talking about.

“Sungmi was very fond of the wolf boys”, she says. “I know that, because she was living with me. Her mother couldn’t take care of her.”

Another child raised by a grandmother. I think about Kibum again and remember how he once called his to ask for a recipe and ended up crying because she was so sweet and offered to cook it for him and send it.

The old woman carries on: “She had a lot of pictures put up in her room. I believe there was one of you too with your friends. But most were of the wolf boys and especially the dancing one.”

“Kai”, I say and it’s not a question.

“Yes”, she confirms. “That is what he was called, I believe.”

“Then she wanted to hurt Taemin because of the dance award?” I ask.

She nods slowly.

“My granddaughter was a good girl, really a good girl, never caused any trouble, always had good marks at school. But she didn’t have many friends, you know. She lived in her own world and liked to stay in her room and listen to all you boys singing, and watch those little video-films on TV-programs. Sometimes she made me watch them too. She used to say things like ‘Halmoni, look at this, just look at them dancing.’”

“But why did she hate Taemin ... and Kibum?” I ask.

“No, no”, she says immediately. “It wasn’t like that. She didn’t hate him. She liked to watch your films. And that summer song, she liked it a lot.”

“But ...”

“They found her diary”, Sungmi’s grandmother explains, “the police did. They told me something that she wrote in it. She was worried about the wolf boy. Worried a lot that he wouldn’t win that award you mentioned.”

“The Chumchu”, I say.

“I guess. She wanted him to win really badly. That’s why she took my husband’s gun.”

“To kill Taemin and Kibum?” I can’t believe Key was killed over a ing award. And then I remember and ask confusedly: “But Kibum ... he wasn’t even nominated. I don’t understand...”

In fact although his performance in the “September” clip was outstanding Key hadn’t been nominated for “Dancer of the year”, since that award was dedicated to the overall achievement and merit of a dancer over the period of an entire year, and since “September” had only just been released, a couple of weeks before the award ceremony, Key didn’t stand a chance to enter the competition. Even in the “Best solo performance” category it was unlikely for him to be nominated because of the late release. The management was counting on the following year for Key to be in the running for the solo-award after SHINee World IV tour.

But Taemin was nominated for best dancer and likely to win, since apart from our own performances he had appeared in lots of dance-specials, done a couple of features and even helped out with EXO.

The old woman looks at me in surprise: “No, no, Sungmi didn’t want to kill anybody ... of course not. She just wanted to hurt your boy a little that he wouldn’t be able to perform for some time. She didn’t want to cripple him. Please, you have to understand, she really was a good girl. She would never have harmed anybody seriously but she wanted the wolf boy to win so badly. You mustn’t think my granddaughter was a bad person”, she says pleadingly.

Hurt Taemin to make Kai win the “Best dancer of the year”-award? Is that why Kai said he was the reason?

“But ... “, I start again, “... but why Kibum? Why did she shoot him?”

“The snow prince?” the old woman asks.

The snow prince. God, Key would have been delighted. Instead of a demon he was a prince in the eyes of this old lady.

“... he was so pretty, wasn’t he?” she says smiling sadly and lost in thoughts.

Yes, he was.

“But why did she shoot him?” I ask again.

“But she didn’t”, she says puzzled by the question, “don’t you know that she only shot once?”